St Petersburg Sexual Assault at Spas and Salons Lawyer

With recent news reports talking about the increased frequency of sexual assaults and inappropriate touching in spas and salons, people need to know what their rights are if this happens to them. Of course, any visit to a spa or salon involves a certain amount of personal contact. Still, it is important to establish boundaries and to know what is appropriate and what is illegal.

A St Petersburg sexual assault at spas and salons lawyer can represent individuals in civil lawsuits alleging they were sexually assaulted while in the care of a salon or spa. A skilled personal injury attorney can work to hold the workers and their employers responsible for their actions and to collect the compensation that victims deserve.

How Can Sexual Assault Happen at a Spa or Salon?

Any type of service received at a spa involves person to person contact. Whether the contact is appropriate depends upon the service being provided. Something as simple as a pedicure should not involve the touching of any body part except the patron’s feet. However, a full body massage will require the masseuse to touch almost everywhere.

It is critical for all visitors to these businesses to understand what touching is necessary for the job and what is inappropriate. It is not uncommon for workers to cross the line. This can be something as simple as touching a person’s leg during a pedicure, to full assault or even rape during a massage.

It is important to remember that any sort of unwelcome touching is cause for both a lawsuit and illegal. Anyone who has been forced to endure this treatment should contact their local law enforcement and a St Petersburg sexual assault at spas and salons lawyer immediately.

Legal Options for Victims of Sexual Acts at a Salon or Spa

Any sexual assault that happens, even in a spa or salon, is both a civil and a criminal matter. This means that not only will the business be responsible for paying out for any damage caused to a plaintiff by an employee, but that employee will also be facing criminal charges. It is important to remember that a civil and a criminal case are independent of one another – even when the facts that lead to the case are identical.

While the cases are independent and may have different outcomes, the results can interact with each other. There is a concept of law known as res judicata. In short, this means that once a court determines an action has happened, a party in the case cannot argue to another court that this action did not occur. For example, if a defendant is convicted of a sexual assault in a criminal court, they cannot then argue in an accompanying civil trial that the assault did not happen.

Help from an Attorney to Pursue Civil Lawsuits

Any sexual assault at a spa or salon is cause for both criminal charges and a civil lawsuit. A St Petersburg sexual assault at spas and salons lawyer can take the lead in pursuing civil cases for damages against the employee and the business.

The assault may also result in a criminal conviction for the defendant, but it is important to remember that a criminal court is unable to provide compensation to an assault victim. Anyone who has suffered through a sexual assault should first contact the police and then give a lawyer a call. An attorney can advise you as to your rights and pursue civil lawsuits against the responsible parties.